Woman’s  Hospital,  Guntur,  India.  Main  Huilding:. 


I’ublished  by  the  (General  Literature  Coininitiee 

Ol-  TIIK 

WOMAN’S  Home  and  Foreign  Missionary  Society  of 
THE  Lutheran  Church. 

(General  Synod.) 


2319  Maryland  Ave._,  Baltimore,  Md. 


1897. 


3 CENTS  EACH. 


2.5  CENTS  A DOZEN. 


NO.  145. 


®uv  Unbta  ^IDission. 


Sarab  C.  Sabtler. 


Our  Mission  in  India  was  founded  in  1842  by  Rev.  C.  F.  Heyer,  familiarly 
known  as  Father  Heyer.  The  spirit  in  which  it  was  founded  is  shown  by  his 
reply  when  asked  where  he  thought  the  General  Synod  should  locate  its  Mis- 
sion : “Whither-soever  the  Lord  may  direct,  we  ought  to  follow  and  commence 
the  work.”  .He  was  sent  out  by  the  Pennsylvania  Synod,  the  General  Synod 
having  at  first  resolved  to  carry  on  its  Mission  work  under  the  American 
Board,  but  in  1843  the  Mission  came  under  the  care  of  the  General  Synod. 

Father  Heyer  embarked  at  Boston,  October  14th,  1841,  and  arrived  at 
Guntur,  July  31,  1842.  Among  the  providences  which  led  to  the  founding  of 

3 


our  Mission  here,  perhaps  none  is  more  conspicuous  than  the  fact  that  H. 
Stokes,  Esq.,  was  then  collector  in  Guntur.  It  is  a sad  fact  that  Christian 
Missions  in  India  have  been  often  hindered  by  civil  servants  sent  out  by  a 
Christian  government,  but  Mr.  Stokes  was  a noble  exception.  He  had  long 
been  wishing  for  such  a helper  in  his  district,  and,  wheia  he  heard  of  the  mis- 
sionary’s arrival,  at  once  sent  for  him.  Father  Heyer  had  tied  his  palankeen 
between  two  trees,  intending' to  make  that  his  dwelling,  but  Mr.  Stokes  gave 
him  a house  where  he  could  begin  work  at  once,  and  for  six  months  he  lived 
there  and  ate  at  Mr.  Stokes’  table. 

In  1843,  the  first  converts,  three  in  number,  were  gathered  in,  and  the  next 
year  marked  the  arrival  of  helpers.  Rev.  Walter  Gunn  and  his  wife. 

In  1849,  Father  Heyer  established  a new  mission  station  in  the  Palnad  at 
points  60  to  70  miles  west  of  Guntur,  a work  of  grace  having  begun  there 
through  the  instrumentality  of  one  man  who  had  been  won  to  Christ  during  a 
visit  of  missionaries  to  his  town.  The  Palnad  has  always  been  one  of  the 
most  successful  stations,  but  because  of  the  scarcity  of  workers  and  its  being 
the  most  unhealthy  section  of  our  Mission,  it  has  been  tuuch  of  the  time  without 


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a resident  missionary.  Dr.  Harpster  labored  there  during-  his  first  term  of 
service  and  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Albrecht  are  now  settled  there,  building-  a dwelling 
and  a school  house  at  Kentachintala,  as  a center. 

In  1850,  Rev.  .1.  G.  Martz  came  to  join  the  two  mission- 
aries, but  was  compelled  to  return  the  following  year. 
Before  his  return  the  Mission  was  called  to  mourn  its  first 
loss  in  the  death  of  Mr.  Gunn.  He  had  been  in  failing- 
health  for  some  time,  but  remained  at  his  post  to  the  end. 
In  the  same  year  our  work  was  enlarged  by  receiving-  from 
the  North  German  Missionary  Society,  the  Rajahmundry 
Station,  115  miles  north-east  of  Guntur,  with  the  Mission 
property  and  two  missionaries.  Rev.  C.  W.  Groening  and 
Rev.  A.  F.  Hei.se. 

In  1852,  the  missionaries  were  further  reinforced  by  the 
MRS.AMYS. ALBRECHT  aurival  of  Rev,  W.  I.  Cutter  and  Rev.  W.  E.  Snyder  with 
their  wives.  They  could  not  remain  long  on  account  of  ill-health.  Mrs. 
Snyder  died  in  1854,  and  in  1856,  the  rest  of  the  party  i-eturned  to  America ; 

5 


but  in  1858,  Mr.  Snyder  with  his  second  wife  came  back  to  India,  accompanied 
by  Rev.  E.  Unangst  and  Rev.  A.  Long  with  their  wives.  Mr.  Snyder  died  of 
cholera  in  1859.  In  1861,  a new  station  was  opened  by  Mr.  Long  at  Samulcotta. 

In  1862,  Mr.  Heise  returned  to  Europe  and  in  1865,  Mr.  Greening,  after 
long  and  faithful  service,  also  returned.  The  same  year  Mr.  Long  and  two  of 
his  children  died  of  small-pox.  This  left  Rev.  E.  Unangst  alone  in  charge  of 
the  four  stations,  Guntur,  Palnad,  Rajahmundry  and  Samulcotta,  But  the 
field  was  too  large  for  one  man,  so  in  1869,  Father  Heyer,  at  78  years  of  age, 
again  went  to  India  to  take  charge  of  Rajahmundry  and  Samulcotta,  which 
became  stations  of  the  General  Council,  while  Guntur  and  the  Palnad  remained 
to  the  General  Synod. 

In  1871,  Rev.  Unangst  was  obliged  to  return  to  America,  and  for  about  a 
year  the  church  in  India  was  left  without  a missionary  in  charge,  the  only  time 
in  its  history.  The  care  of  the  field  during  this  time  was  entrusted  to  Mr.  R. 
E.  Cully  who  had  been  in  the  service  of  the  Mission  since  1862. 

In  1872,  Rev.  Unangst  returned,  accompanied  by  Rev.  J.  H.  Harpster,  and 
in  1873,  Rev.  and  Mrs.  L.  L.  Uhl  arrived  in  Guntur.  The  Anglo-Vernacular 

6 


School,  which  was  first  started  about  the  year  1852  but  closed  in  1865  because 
of  the  lack  of  funds  due  to  the  civil  war,  was  at  this  time  re-opened  and  Rev. 
Uhl  had  charge  of  it  during  his  first  twelve  years  stay  in  India.  This  School 
was  the  foundation  of  the  Arthur  G.  Watts  Memorial  College.  In  1886,  it  was 
raised  to  the  position  of  a Second  Grade  College  under  the  principalship  of 
Rev.  L.  B.  Wolf  who  is  still  in  charge.  It  takes  pupils  as  far  as  the  First  in 
Ai’ts  Examination,  which  about  corresponds  to  the  end  of  Sophomore  year  in 
our  American  Colleges.  It  is  open  to  all  classes  and  creeds  and,  so  far,  it  and 
its  branches  have  given  us  about  the  only  way  of  approach  to  the  high-caste 
Hindu.  The  new  college  building  was  formally  opened  on  March  17th,  1893) 
by  His  Excellency,  Lord  Wenlock,  Governor  of  Madras. 

In  1874,  Rev.  A.  D.  Rowe  was  sent  out,  having  spent  the  previous  years 
in  travelling  among  the  churches  to  raise  the  money  necessary  to  send  him. 
His  appeals  were  made  especially  to  the  Sunday  schools  and  he  went  as  the 
Children’s  Foreign  Missionary.  The  Mission  thus  reinforced  had  a hopeful 
outlook  and  we  find  the  decade  from  1870-80,  a most  prosperous  one,  over 
5,000  being  baptized  during  that  time.  The  Christmas  season  of  1876  was 


7 


Specially  significant  in  oni-  Mission.  At  this  time  the  church  in  Guntur, 
known  as  the  Stoi-k  Chapel,  was  dedicated  and  two  native  pastors  were  or- 
dained. In  1877-78,  occurred  that  dreadful  famine  throughout  India  in  which 
millions  perished.  Mr.  Rowe  took  a specially  active  part  in  the  relief 
measures,  which  even  secured  for  him  honorable  mention  by  those  in  charge 
of  the  Mansion  House  Relief  Fund  in  London.  His  position  in  this  respect 
was  a great  help  to  his  work  in  influencing  for  good  the  hearts  and  lives  of 
the  people  and  an  unusual  number  of  conversions  is  recorded  as  the  result  of 
these  years.  Having  taken  a short  furlough  in  America,  spent  chiefly  in 
visiting  the  home  churches  in  the  interest  of  the  work,  Mr.  Rowe  with  his 
wife  and  four  little  children  returned  to  India  in  the  fall  of  1881.  As  soon  as 
he  reached  Guntur,  he  began  work  with  his  accustomed  energy.  The  district 
work  was  then  very  laborious  on  account  of  the  many  recent  additions  to  the 
church,  and  he  was  also  occupied  with  the  building  of  two  houses  for  the  mis- 
sionaries and  with  other  special  objects.  Overwork  I’endered  him  an  easy 
prey  to  typhoid  fever  from  which  he  died  September  16,  1882,  the  announce- 
ment bringing  grief  to  the  hearts  of  many  throughout  the  church  who  knew 

8 


Woluau’s  Hospital,  Guntur.  Maternity  Ward. 


and  loved  him.  There  are  many  who  owe  their  first  intei’est  in  foreign  mis- 
sions to  Rev.  A.  D.  Rowe. 

In  1881,  Rev.  Charles  Schnure  was  sent  to  India,  the  second  missionary 
supported  by  the  Children’s  Missionary  Society.  He  was  accompanied  by  his 
wife  and  by  Miss  Kate  Boggs.  Miss  Boggs  was  sent  by  the 
Executive  Committee  of  the  Woman’s  Home  and  Foreign 
Missionary  Society  which  had  resolved  to  assume  the  sup- 
port of  the  Zenana  work  and  the  girls’  schools  in  Guntur. 
Work  had  already  been  done  in  this  line  by  the  wives  of 
some  of  our  missionaries,  but  it  was  necessarily  limited. 
To  the  disappointment  of  the  women  of  the  church,  Miss 
Boggs  was  a great  sufferer  during  the  whole  of  her  stay  in 
India  and  was  obliged  to  return  in  1883. 

The  W.  H.  and  F.  M.  Society  sent  out  two  more  work- 
ers in  1883,  Dr.  Anna  S.  Kugler  and  Miss  Fannie  Dryden, 
in  the  largest  missionary  party  ever  sent  out  by  our  Board,  the  others  being 


10 


Dr.  Unangst,  who  had  come  to  America  for  a short  rest, his.  wife  and  daughter, 
Ella,  and  Rev.  L.  B.  Wolf  and  wife. 

In  1884,  Rev.  W.  P.  Swartz  I'eceived  his  appointment 
for  India,  and,  as  the  United  Synod  of  the  South  had  agreed 
to  support  him,  he  travelled  a year  through  the  South, 
reaching  India  in  1885.  From  this  time  dates  the  Mission 
Printing  Press  which  has  since  been  one  of  the  successful 
evangelistic  agencies. 

In  1887,  Rev.  .John  Nichols  and  wife  arrived,  but  before 
he  had  completed  his  first  year  in  India,  God  called  him 
away. 

The  bungalow  at  Narasarowpett  which  was  to  have  been 
his  field  of  labor,  was  built  as  a memorial  to  him,  chiefly 
by  the  young  men  of  the  Church.  It  is  now  occupied  by 
Rev.  N.  E.  Yeiser  who  with  his  wife  went  to  India  in  1892.  The  W.  H.  & F. 
M.  Society  also  have  a home  at  Narasarowpett,  which  was  occupied  by  Miss 
Kistler  during  the  last  years  of  her  work  in  our  Mission. 


MRS*  L.  B.  WOLF. 


II 


In  1890,  Rev.  L.  L.  Uhl,  Ph.  D.,  who  had  spent  five  yeai  s in  America, 
during  which  time  he  had  been  instrumental  in  raising  large  sums  of  money 
for  building  the  College  and  the  Hospital  for  Women 
and  Children,  and  had  also  taken  a three  years  posU 
graduate  course  at  the  Johns  Hopkins  University,  again 
reached  the  India  field  at  the  beginning  of  the  year,  ac- 
companied by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  .John  Aberly  and  IMiss 
Amy  L.  Sadtler.  Mr.  Aberly  was  ordained  by  the  India 
Conference,  Dec.  1891. 

1892  was  the  50th  year  since  the  founding  of  the 
Mission,  but  owing  to  threatened  famine  and  consequent 
MISS  ANNA  SANFORD.  hard  tlmcs,  the  celebration  of  the  Jubilee  was  postponed 
to  the  following  year.  The  celebration  began  with  two  large  meetings  in 
Guntur,  audience  about  1200,  followed  by  an  extended  tour  of  the  whole 
field  by  as  many  of  the  missionaries  as  possible,  closing  with  a meeting 
in  Guntur  held  in  the  new  College  Hall,  July  31st.  These  meetings  were  of 
gi’eat  benefit  to  the  congregations  visited.  Much  enthusiasm  was  manifested 


12 


and  a surprising  amount  of  money  contributed  by  natives  to  the  building-  of  a 
Dormitory  for  the  Boarding  boys,  a memorial  to  Father  Heyer.  Dr.  Uhl, 
writing  of  the  Jubilee  and  its  results  says:  “It  has  not  had 
its  like  in  India.” 

In  the  same  year,  18!>3,  Dr.  .1.  H.  Harpster  returned  to 
take  uj)  his  loved  work.  Since  1876,  when  he  was  obliged 
I to  leave  India  on  account  of  impaired  health,  he  had  been 

f a successful  ])astor  at  home. 

In  1894  and  1895,  the  woman’s  work  suffered  a num- 
ber of  losses.  Miss  Dryden  and  Miss  Kistler  left  the  field 
and  Miss  Sadtler  was  removed  to  another  part  of  it  through 
her  marriage  to  Rev.  G.  W.  Albrecht.  The  married  ladies 
of  the  Mission  kept  the  work  from  falling  and  the  Mission 
has  since  been  reinfoi-ced  by  the  arrival  of  Miss  Katharine 
Fahs  and  Miss  Jessie  Brewer  in  1894,  Dr.  Mary  Baer  and  Miss  Anna  San- 
foi’d  in  1895,  and  Miss  Mary  Knauss  in  1896. 


/lISS  KATHARINE  FAHS 


The  Missionaries  now  in  the  field  are  : 


OR  MARY  BAER. 


Rev.  L.  L.  Uhl,  Ph.  D, 
Rev.  L.  B.Wolf  and  wife, 
Rev.  John  Aberly,  and  wife, 
Rev.  J.  H.  Harpster, 

D.  D.,  and  wife, 

Rev.  Noah  Yeiser,  and  wife. 
“ Geo.  Albrecht  “ 


Rev.  Sam.  C.  Kinsinger, 
Dr.  Anna  S.  Kugler, 
Miss  Katharine  Fahs. 
Miss  Jessie  Brewer. 
Dr.  Mary  Baer, 

Miss  Anna  Sanford. 
Miss  Mary  Knauss, 


These  are  only  a small  portion  of  the  workers  actually  employed.  They 
are,  in  fact,  only  the  leaders  who  direct  the  native  forces  under  them.  Revs. 
Uhl,  Harpster,  Albrecht,  Yeiser  and  Kinsinger  are  district  missionaries. 
Rev,  Wolf  is  principal  of  the  College  and  Rev.  Aberly  has  chaa-ge  of  the 
Guntur  Church,  the  Boys’  Boarding  School  and  the  Theological  School  in 
the  College.  The  ladies  who  have  gone  out  recently  are  engaged  in  the  study 

14 


of  the  language  or  beginning  to  assist  with  the  work  in  the  schools  or  zenanas. 
Miss  Falls  is  a trained  nurse  and  with  Dr.  Baer  will  be  a valuable  aid  in 
the  finely  equipped  Hospital  for  Woman  and  Children,  which  under  Dr.  Kug- 
ler’s  supervision,  is  nearly  ready  for  opening.  The  new  Dispensary  which 
was  the  first  of  the  group  of  Hospital  buildings  to  be 
erected,  was  opened  in  1893  and  the  work  has  since  then 
been  carried  on  more  advantageously  than  in  the  narrow 
quarters  previously  occupied.  The.Iubilee  House  for  medi- 
cal missionaries  was  opened  in  1895.  The  Ti’aining  and 
Girls’  Boarding  School,  for  the  education  of  the  daughters 
of  Christians  in  the  district  and  the  training  of  teachers  is 
an  efficient  power  for  good.  It  is  under  the  care  of  Miss 
Brewer  and  of  Miss  Minnie  Moses,  an  English  girl,  edu- 
cated in  Madras,  an  earnest  devoted  Christian,  who  has 
been  working  in  our  Mission  since  1891. 

MISS  JESSIE  BSCWER* 


It  is  impossible  in  a tract  of  this  size  to  tell  anything  of  the  results  or 
methods  of  work.  The  wisdom  of  those  whc  laid  the  foundation  of  the  Mis- 

15 


sion  has  been  seen  by  theii-  successors.  Schools  have  been  encouraged  from 
the  beginning  and  our  efforts  have  always  looked  toward  the  establishment 
of  a native  ministry.  Work  was  begun  among  the  low-caste  population. 
The  standard  of  instruction  required  before  baptism, 
while  exceedingly  low  from  an  American  standpoint, 
has  been  high  when  compared  with  some  missions,  and 
it  was  made  obligatory  for  persons  to  renounce  caste 
before  admitting  them  into  the  church. 

The  field  is  large,  consisting  of  seven  taluks  or 
counties  in  the  district  south  of  the  Krishna  River,  and 
there  is  great  need  for  more  workers  as  well  as  more 
efficient  means  for  carrying  on  the  work,  so  that  ignor- 
ant converts  may  be  trained  into  true  piety,  the  heathen 
reached  with  the  Gospel  message  and  the  personal  work  of  the  missionary 
given  where  there  is  the  greatest  need.  “Pray  ye,  therefore,  the  Lord  of  the 
harvest  that  he  would  send  forth  laborers  into  his  harvest,'*  and  come  ye 
up  “to  the  help  of  the  Lord,  to  the  help  of  the  Lord  agqinst  the  mighty” 
forces  of  heathenism. 


fllSS  Mary  knauss. 


TABLE  SHOWING  THE  TIME  OF  SERVICE  OF  MISSIONARIES. 


Rev. 

Rev. 

Mrs. 

Rev. 

Rev. 

Mrs. 

Rev. 

Mrs. 

Rev. 

Mrs. 

Mrs. 

Rev. 

Mrs. 

Rev 


C.^  F.  Heykr.  arrived  in  1842,  returned  (finally)  in  1870. 

U ALTER  Gunn,  arrived  in  1844,  died  in  1851. 

Gunn,  arrived  in  1844,  returned  in  1851. 

G.  Martz,  ari’ived  in  1850,  returned  in  1851. 

C.  W.  Groening,  joined  in  1851,  returned  (finally)  in  1865 
Groening,  joined  in  1851,  returned  (finally)  in  1865. 

. I.  Heise,  joined  in  1851,  returned  (finally)  in  1862. 
Heise,  joined  in  1857,  returned  in  1862. 
w.  E.  Snyder,  arrived  in  1852,  died  in  1859. 

Snyder,  (first  wife)  arrived  in  1852,  died  in  1854 
S^nyder,  (second  wife)  arrived  in  1858,  returned  in  1859. 

W.  I.  Cutter,  arrived  in  1852,  returned  in  1855. 

Cutter,  arrived  in  1852,  returned  in  1855. 

A.  Long,  arrived  in  1858,  died  in  1866. 


17 


Mrs.  Long,  arrived  in  1858,  returned  in  1866. 

Rev.  E.  Unangst,  arrived  in  1858,  returned  in  1895. 
Mrs.  Unangst,  arrived  in  1858,  died  in  1888. 

Rev.  J.  H.  Harpster,  arrived  in  1872,  returned  in  1876 
Rev.  J.  H.  Harpster,  (second  term)  arrived  in  1893. 

Mrs.  Harpster,  ai-rived  in  1893. 

Rev.  L.  L.  Uhl,  Ph.  D.,  arrived  in  1873. 

Mrs.  Uhl,  arrived  in  1873,  returned  in  1885. 

Rev.  A.  D.  Rowe,  arrived  in  1874,  died  in  1882. 

Mrs.  Rowe,  arrived  in  1874,  returned  in  1882. 

Rev.  C.  SCHNURE,  arrived  in  1881,  returned  in  1885. 
Mrs.  SCHNURE,  arrived  in  1881,  returned  in  1885. 

Miss  Kate  Boggs,  arrived  in  1881,  returned  in  1883. 

Rev.  L.  B.  Wolf,  arrived  in  1883. 

Mrs.  Wolf,  arrived  in  1883. 

Miss  Anna  S.  Kugler,  M.  D.,  arrived  in  1883. 

Miss  F.  M.  Dryden,  arriyed  in  1883,  returned  in  1894. 


Miss  Ella  Unangst,  arrived  in  1883,  returned  in  1887. 

Rev.  W.  P.  Swartz,  arrived  in  1885,  returned  in  1887. 

Rev.  John  Nichols,  arrived  in  January,  1886,  died  November,  1886. 
Mrs.  Nichols,  arrived  in  1886,  returned  in  1887. 

Miss  Susan  R.  Kistler,  arrived  in  1888,  returned  in  1895. 

Rev.  John  Aberly,  arrived  in  1890. 

Mrs.  Aberly,  arrived  in  1890. 

Miss  Amy  L.  Sadtler,  arrived  in  1890,  married  in  1895  to 

Rev.  Geo.  Albrecht,  Ph.  D.,  arrived  in  1892. 

Rev.  Noah  E.  Zeiser.  arrived  in  1892. 

Mrs.  Zeiser,  arrived  in  1892. 

Rev.  Samuel  C.  Kinsinger,  arrived  in  1894. 

Miss  Katherine  Pahs,  arrived  in  1894  

Miss  Jessie  Brewer,  arrived  in  1894  

Miss  Mary  Baer,  M.  D. , arrived  in  1895. 

Miss  Anna  .Sanford,  arrived  in  1895. 

Miss  Mary  Knauss,  arrived  in  1896. 


9 


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